Buying Duck Fat

I tried searching, and while I found some great posts and ideas for duck preparation, came up empty handed on the availability of canned rendered duck fat. I would much rather render my own, but need to come up with some duck fat quick to make confit. I know this can be purchased, but is it something easily available at the local Jewel or Dominicks?

Thanks!

Paulina Meat Market
3501 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago
Tel: (773) 248-6272

Get some goose lard for frying potatoes in while you're there, too.

And if they are out at Paulina, Fox & Obel also sells it.

As a word of warning, I wouldn't make F&O the first stop. IIRC, Paulina sells a huge bucket of it for something like $5-$10, whereas F&O sells small cream cheese sized tubs for the same price. If you're going the confit route, getting the fat at F&O will be a rather expensive proposition (unless they've started offering larger tubs since the last time I bought it there).

Thanks for the help all. I am making confit so Paulina seems like the place to go, hopefully I can work out the logistics.

Dmnkly wrote:As a word of warning, I wouldn't make F&O the first stop. IIRC, Paulina sells a huge bucket of it for something like $5-$10, whereas F&O sells small cream cheese sized tubs for the same price. If you're going the confit route, getting the fat at F&O will be a rather expensive proposition (unless they've started offering larger tubs since the last time I bought it there).

You are correct -- but once I was at Paulina and they were out, so I had to splurge at F&O.

A couple of weeks ago I made confit. After rendering the fat I realized I was way short and couldn't find any locally and didn't have time to get to the City. A google search suggested supplementing a bit of freshly rendered lard for the remaining duck fat. So I bought, rather was given some by a Caputo's employee. I used that and my confit oink was absolutely delicious.

I like to hang on to my DF after I make confit (duck legs & thighs) I re-boil the DF after filtering it thru a double or triple layer of cheese-cloth and then cool till it's solid and then freeze one large container (now that I've got a lot of it...) and 'fridge a much smaller container for potatoes and other uses for DF. I tend to purchase whole ducks when they are on sale and part them out saving or eating everything but the quack!

Dmnkly wrote:As a word of warning, I wouldn't make F&O the first stop. IIRC, Paulina sells a huge bucket of it for something like $5-$10, whereas F&O sells small cream cheese sized tubs for the same price. If you're going the confit route, getting the fat at F&O will be a rather expensive proposition (unless they've started offering larger tubs since the last time I bought it there).

actually .... Paulina is 3.5lbs for $18.95 (there's one in my freezer right now). Still cheaper than F&O, however.

tem wrote:

Dmnkly wrote:As a word of warning, I wouldn't make F&O the first stop. IIRC, Paulina sells a huge bucket of it for something like $5-$10, whereas F&O sells small cream cheese sized tubs for the same price. If you're going the confit route, getting the fat at F&O will be a rather expensive proposition (unless they've started offering larger tubs since the last time I bought it there).

actually .... Paulina is 3.5lbs for $18.95 (there's one in my freezer right now). Still cheaper than F&O, however.

Guess that means IRI... thanks for the correction

I did get the 3.5lb container from Paulina, but I'll note that it has been struck by inflation as I paid 19.95 for it. I did notice they also sell 7oz containers but neglected to check the price. It was bad enough I had to tell my coworkers I was late for the x-mas party becuase I got stuck in traffic on a duck fat excursion.

Try Gepperth's. Don't know the price.

(The website doesn't list everything they stock. Just call and ask.)

Gepperth's Meat Market
1964 N Halsted St, Chicago, IL
(773) 549-3883
gepperthsmarket.com

One more data point for future reference:

Hudson Valley Foie Gras (one of the two main American producers of foie gras) sells 2 lbs buckets of their duck fat for $12, plus shipping. This is slightly more expensive than Paulina's 3.5 lbs for $19.95.

I don't know much about duck fat to know if the fat from their ducks is of higher quality than the fat from other ducks. Their duck meat, however, is incredibly good.

Gepperth's sells their duck meat, so I'd guess that they also sell their duck fat.